COMBINATION WINS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 479, 8 October 1928, Page 6

COMBINATION WINS

MARIST FORWARDS MAKE OPENINGS: BACKS TOP OFF PONSONBY’S SOLID FIGHT With two tries scored each way, it was really the greater accuracy of (Gregory over Delgrosso in goal-kick-inng which won the Roope Rooster for Marists on Saturday. Actually, however, Marists was the better team on the day’s play, and even if Delgrosso had managed to turn two reasonably easy penalties into goals at a critical stage in the second spell, it would have been sheer hard luck for Marists to have lost. Marists won because it had a more powerful set of forwards and greater thrust and attacking strength in its inside backs. Ponsonby sorely missed Hutt in the forwards, but as against this Marists lost Johnson, who was ordered off (rather harshly, it seemed) in the second spell. With the exception of the three Peckhams, Delgrosso and Fagan, however, Ponsonby played a good deal below form, and on the run of play, Marists deserved its win, although Ponsonby put up a great fight against a heavier team. BAD SCRUM WORK It was a capital game to watch, although to some extent marred by weak handling on both sides, and by the difficulty of getting the ball into the scrums. One one occasion, the ball was tossed at the feet of the struggling front-rankers no fewer than eight times before it went fairly into the scrum. There is only one way to deal with this sort of thing, and that is for referees to take firmer control. Many of the League’s own supporters contend that a mistake was made in ever doing away with the line-out, and it is evident that if a scrum is to be an adequate substitute, it should not be allowed to degenerate into a wearisome and long-drawn-out rough and tumble. Two of the four tries scored were due to mistakes by the fullbacks, Noble and K. Peckhum getting the benefit of smart following up when the only man between them and the line had fumbled.